Our undergraduate research fellows produce real, publishable research in topics related to ACRE’s mission such as occupational licensing, taxes, government spending. These highly-competitive paid positions give students the opportunity to focus on research, get valuable feedback from ACRE staff and fellow researchers, and offer chances to present their research in academic settings.
Academic Year 2024 — 2025
Veronica Bertolusso
Veronica Bertolusso is a senior from Italy. She will graduate in May 2025 with a BBA in Economics and a Minor in Data Analytics. Following graduating, Veronica plans on getting her masters degree in Data Analytics. With her faculty mentor, Dr. Mavuto Kalulu, Veronica is researching about campaign financing in the United States and how this affects economic freedom.
David Tooley
David Tooley is a junior from Conway, Arkansas. He will graduate in May of 2026 with a major in Economics and a minor in Math. Following graduation, David plans to pursue his doctorate in economics. In conjunction with his faculty mentor, Dr. Collin Hodges, David is researching whether Opportunity Zones are assigned based on previous election outcomes.
Perla Zapata
Perla Zapata, a native of Dequeen, Arkansas, is currently a senior majoring in Economics. Alongside her mentor, Dr. Thomas Snyder, she is researching economic development incentives while focusing on the economic costs and tax revenue impact of these policies. After graduation in May 2025, she will pursue an advanced degree in economics.
Academic Year 2023 — 2024
Dilliram Kadariya
Dilliram Kadariya is a junior pursuing his BSC in Applied Mathematics, with a minor in Computer Science. After graduation, he plans to work in the field of engineering and technology. Supported by his faculty mentor Dr. Collin Hodges, Dilliram is investigating the relationship between screen time (time spent in front of electronic devices) and substance abuse among high school students in the U.S. The research employs a multidimensional analysis that accounts for the socio-economic variables at both the local and state levels within Arkansas.
David Tooley
David Tooley is a sophomore from Conway, Arkansas. He will graduate in May of 2026 with a major in Economics and a minor in Math. Following graduation, David plans to pursue his doctorate in economics. In conjunction with his faculty mentor, Dr. Mavuto Kalulu, David is researching the effect of state ethics committees on corruption within the legislature.
Anna Turgaeva
Anna Turgaeva is a junior majoring in Applied Data Analytics and minoring in Economics. She is collaborating with her faculty mentor, Dr. Weici Yuan, on a research project centered around occupational licensing. Specifically, their research focuses on examining the impacts of universal licensure agreements on migration and labor mobility. After graduation, Anna plans to pursue a career as a business analyst.
Perla Zapata
Perla Zapata, a native of Dequeen, Arkansas, is currently a junior majoring in Economics. Her faculty mentor is Dr. Thomas Snyder. She is conducting research into the interconnectedness of occupational regulation and immigrants by specifically focusing on DACA recipients, shortages in the nursing labor market, and ACT 837. After graduating, she plans to attend graduate school to pursue a Ph.D. in economics.
Academic Year 2022-2023
Claire Coon
Claire Coon is from Batesville, Arkansas. She will graduate in December of 2023 with a major in Logistics & Supply Chain Management and a minor in Economics. Following graduation, she plans to pursue a career in the field of supply chain management. In conjunction with her faculty mentor, Dr. Collin Hodges, Claire is researching the impact of state-level economic freedom on opioid overdose deaths across the United States.
Seth Schonauer
Seth Schonauer is a senior Economics major (Biology minor) from Bentonville, Arkansas. He and his faculty mentor Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl are currently developing a model to estimate the lost tax revenue that results from the ban some Arkansas counties have on retail alcohol sales. After he graduates in May of 2023, Seth will attend law school.
Takahito Orr
Takahito Orr is a senior Economics major with a minor in Actuarial Sciences. Along with his faculty mentor Dr. Thomas Snyder, has been examining the impact of special interests on state-level occupational licensure reform in the United States. Takahito is currently working to obtain his actuarial certifications and after graduation will pursue a career as an actuary.
Academic Year 2021-2022
Caleb Vines
Caleb Vines is from Conway, Arkansas. He is a senior majoring in Economics and minoring in Mathematics. After graduating he will attend graduate school and pursue a Ph.D. in Economics. He is currently researching collateral consequences and the influence they have on justice-impacted individuals. Dr. Tom Snyder is his faculty mentor. Caleb is pictured with his Outstanding Economic Student Award, for research presented at the 2022 Society of Business, Industry, and Economics conference.
Yimin Wang
Yimin Wang graduated from UCA in May of 2022 with a major in Economics. Along with his faculty mentor, Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl, he conducted research examining how government policy during the era of Covid affects measures of entrepreneurship. After graduating from UCA, Yimin plans to pursue a master’s degree in economics.
Elizabeth Davis
Elizabeth Davis graduated from UCA with a major in Accounting. Along with her faculty mentor, Dr. Collin Hodges, she conducted research examining the socioeconomic characteristics of the opioid epidemic in the United States. After graduation, Elizabeth plans to pursue her master’s in accountancy.
Academic Year 2020-2021
Elsa Mattson
Elsa Mattson is from Conway, Arkansas, She is a senior majoring in Economics, MIS, and Chinese. After graduating she may attend school for an MBA or pursue a career in business. She is currently researching state occupational licensing requirements and the impact such requirements have on choosing a location for a business. Dr. Tom Snyder is her faculty mentor. Mattson has already coauthored a paper entitled “Occupational Licensing Effects on Business Establishments”. You can read the abstract of the paper here.
Tanner Corley
Tanner Corley is from Bismarck, Arkansas. He is a senior with a double major in History and Political Science. After graduating he plans to attend graduate school studying history. His current research concerns the licensing of barbers in Arkansas and the effects that the state licensing board has had on the development of the profession. Dr. Wendy Lucas is his mentor. You can read a blog post Tanner authored on his research subject here.
Kennedy Neely
Kennedy Neely is a senior majoring in Political Science, International Studies, and Anthropology, with a minor in History. Her fellows research focuses on undocumented immigrants and occupational licensing. After graduation, she plans to attend law school and hopes to work in immigration law. Her hometown is Weiner, AR, but Kennedy attended high school at the Arkansas School for Math, Sciences, and the Arts in Hot Springs, AR. A blog post on the ACRE Review by Kennedy can be read here.
David Lee
David Lee is a History Major, with a double minor in Communication and Political Science, currently in his senior year. The subject of his fellows research is directly looking over how prepared Arkansas School districts were for the COVID-19 Pandemic in terms of transitioning to Alternative Methods of Instruction (AMI). David hopes to understand whether charter school districts in Arkansas navigated the pandemic better or worse than traditional school districts. After graduating, he plans on attending law school to become an attorney. His hometown is Maumelle, Arkansas.
Academic Year 2019-2020
Erica Smith
Erica Smith graduated from UCA in May 2020 with a major in Economics. She is from Vilonia, AR. After graduation she hopes to find a career in the global supply chain. During her time as a research fellow, Smith coauthored a paper examining whether the state’s targeted economic development incentives have been used for political gain: Pandering Politicians? Targeted Economic Development Incentives and Voter Response
Ryan Jackson
Ryan Jackson graduated from UCA in May 2020 with a major in Economics. After graduation, he plans to move to Northwest Arkansas and pursue a career in business. He is from Pea Ridge, AR. You can read a blog post Jackson authored for the ACRE Review here.
Macy Scheck
Macy Scheck is from Grand Junction, Colorado. He graduated from UCA in May 2020 with a major in economics and a minor in German. His current research examined the effect of severance taxes on natural gas production and investment. You can read a blog post on the ACRE Review about his research here.
Zak Massey
Zak Massey graduated from UCA in May 2020 and is currently pursuing an MS in Economics from the University of Arkansas. He is from Perryville, AR. During his time as a research fellow, Massey coauthored a research paper with ACRE Director David Mitchell entitled “Expanding the Use of Nurse Practitioners and Young Adult Mental Health.”
Tanner Corley
Tanner Corley is from Bismarck, Arkansas. He is a senior with a double major in History and Political Science. After graduating he plans to attend graduate school studying history. Corley coauthored a research paper entitled “For Public Health or Private Gain?” about the history of barber licensing in Arkansas.
Elsa Mattson
Elsa Mattson is from Conway, Arkansas, She is a senior majoring in Economics, MIS, and Chinese. After graduating she may attend school for an MBA or pursue a career in business. Mattson wrote an op-ed published in The Morning Call about licensing restrictions for former inmates, which can be read here.
Academic Year 2018-2019
Morgan Burke
Morgan Burke is from Sheridan, Arkansas. She is a senior majoring in biology and minoring in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies. After graduating, she hopes to attend a masters program in education. This is her second year as a research fellow for ACRE. In her first year, she researched school choice in Arkansas. Currently, she is focused on examining the relationship between administration spending and student outcomes in Arkansas.
Dango Kumwenda
Dango is from Malawi. He graduated from UCA in 2017 with a BBA degree in economics. He is currently pursuing an MBA degree at UCA. His current research is focused on the effects of minimum wage.
Thomas Moore
Thomas Moore is from Greenwood, Arkansas. He is a senior majoring in economics and minoring in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies. His research examines the effects of occupational licensing laws on economic recovery.
Academic Year 2017-2018
Dylan Jones
Dylan Jones is from Greers Ferry, Arkansas. He is a senior majoring in Mathematics with a concentration in Data Science and minoring in Economics. His research focuses on government incentives and whether or not Arkansas’s job creation tax credits increase job opportunities throughout the state.
Morgan Burke
Morgan Burke is from Sheridan, Arkansas. She is a junior majoring in biology and minoring in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies. After graduating, she hopes to attend a masters program in education. She is researching school choice in Arkansas.
Christopher Talley
Christopher Talley is from Huntsville, Arkansas. He is majoring in Geography and minoring in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies. Chris will graduate in the spring of 2018. His research is a case study of Kickstarter as a comparison to other traditional forms of funding. The data he receives will be compared on a national and state level, as a potential alternative to funding methods such as bank loans or credit cards.
Aaron Newell
Aaron Newell is a senior from Vilonia, Arkansas. He is a double major in Economics and Public Administration. After graduation, he intends to obtain a Master’s in Business Administration or Health Administration to pursue a career in Healthcare Management. Aaron’s current research is focused on K-12 school choice in Arkansas, including the effects of charter schools on student performance and delinquency. His research paper “The Effects of Charter Schools on Disciplinary Infractions in Traditional Public Schools: Evidence from Arkansas” was published in the November 2019 edition of the Quarterly Review of Business Disciplines.
Op-ed: How Charter Schools Improve Student Outcomes printed April 30, 2018 in the Log Cabin Democrat.